9 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (27 Oct)
2. Mox Vs. Penta Just About Delivers
This was one of Jon Moxley's weaker 2022 matches in truth, but it wasn't actively bad. It was however slightly disappointing, but still good enough to warrant an 'Up'. If the signature WhatCulture review format was titled 'Ups, Downs & In-Betweens', this might have fallen under the latter category.
The match was made, presumably, as a result of the hype generated by Penta El Zero Miedo's recent blood-soaked exploits in AAA. It was hardly made after a patiently booked winning streak allowing Penta to contend for the belt. The Championship Eliminator gimmick should have been used here.
The visual of Penta holding up Villano IV's mask was both instantly iconic and promised a similar, claret-drenched Mox signature here. It didn't happen; instead, Mox and Penta worked a solid match highlighted by an inventive DDT spot on the steel stairs, which looked ugly in the best possible way, and a 2.99 Mox kick-out of which Kurt Angle and Kazuchika Okada would be jealous. It was thought for a brief moment that Penta had won the AEW World title. That is some accomplishment, even if the match on the whole was not.
Elsewhere, this bordered on tepid, which is bizarre given how fantastic both men are at the ultra-heated brawl.